Disease that affects the blood vessels responsible for supplying blood to the brain. When the vessel is blocked by an embolism or thrombus, it is called an ischaemic stroke, and when the lesion is secondary to a rupture of the vessel, it is known as a haemorrhagic stroke.
There are factors that increase the risk of stroke: older age, family medical history, race or gender, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and heart disease.
Symptoms will vary depending on the area of the brain that is affected. The most common symptoms are: loss of strength, altered sensation in a region of the body, difficulty speaking or walking, deviation of the mouth, and decreased level of consciousness.
Diagnosis is made on the basis of a medical history, complete physical examination, blood tests and a CT-scan.
Stroke due to lack of blood supply is treated with medication that "liquefies the blood" (fibrinolytics, anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents) or with interventional techniques, which use a catheter to channel the affected blood vessels and permeabilise their inner lumen. Haemorrhagic stroke due to a ruptured blood vessel usually requires surgical treatment. In both cases treatment is very urgent and cannot be delayed. After the acute phase, a large number of patients will need rehabilitation to recover the functions lost due to the lack of cerebral irrigation.
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